What changed

B90115/2024

B90116

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the new wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family membersmembers:

(2024/2550(RSP))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to human rights treaties to which Belarus is a party,

having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus,

- having regard to Rules 144(5) andRule 132(4)144 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas Maryna Adamovich, the wife of the Belarusian opposition leader and political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich was arrested by the Lukashenka regime on 23 January 2024;

whereas in January 2024 the Lukashenko regime unleashed a new wave of persecution, including intimidation and attacks on the families of political prisoners and prominent critical voices in Belarusian society; whereas human rights activists have confirmed at least 200 new arrests as a result of the recent repression; whereas at least 160 female family members have been detained, including Maryna Adamovich, wife of 2020 Sakharov Prize winner Mikalai Statkevich, Tatsiana Sieviaryniec, mother of imprisoned opposition leader Paval Sieviaryniec, and Darya Losik, wife of imprisoned activist Ihar Losik,

B. whereas, according to the media and human rights defenders reports, large-scale raids, interrogations and searches of the homes of political prisoners by the regime's security apparatus led to the arrests of over 200 people;

whereas the regime’s Investigative Committee has launched the so-called "special procedure", consisting of criminal investigation and trial in absentia, against 20 political analysts, journalists and sociologists, accusing them of providing support and expertise to the office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,

C. whereas additional charges are brought against 20 well-known Belarusian political scientists, journalists and experts, the so-called ‘Tsikhanouskaya's analysts,’ who are charged in absentia and, if convicted, may even lose their Belarusian citizenship;

whereas, as the Lukashenka regime prepares for the so-called "unified voting day" of parliamentary and local elections on 25 February 2024, many decent Belarusians are further being persecuted, such as the leader of the United Civil Party, Mikalai Kazlou, the leader of the BPF party, Ryhor Kastusiou who despite being diagnosed with cancer, was sent to prison,

D. whereas the illegitimate Lukashenka regime continues to repress the people of Belarus and persecutes civil society representatives, human rights defenders, journalists, democratic opposition parties’ leaders, including the imprisoned United Civic Party leader Mikalai Kazlou, who faces threats of a new criminal case to be opened against him and activists and many other people for political reasons; whereas widespread criminal prosecution remains one of the most serious forms of repression;

whereas Lukashenka's government is trying to bring religious institutions under its control by closing churches and restricting religious freedoms, making Belarus the world’s second country with the highest number of imprisoned priests,

E. whereas in Belarus representatives of democratic forces are still illegally detained and held in inhumane conditions; whereas political prisoners experience torture, isolation, are denied medical care, contact with family and a number have died in prison;

whereas the regime is continuing its persecution of national minorities, calling for an end to Polish language teaching in schools and intimidating teachers and students; whereas representatives of the regime are threatening more than 160 000 Pole's Card holders with repression,

F. whereas the Lukashenka regime has repeatedly committed violations of human rights against Belarusian people, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association; whereas repression continues to affect all sections of society, from academia to the media to human rights defenders;

whereas the scale of human rights violations in Belarus is so great and their nature so brutal that, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, they can be defined as ‘crimes against humanity’.

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Strongly condemns the unjustified, politically motivated sentences and continued repression of Belarusian democratic forces, civil society, human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, clergy, political activists and their family members; reiterates its call to ensure accountability and justice for the victims of grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity that are taking place in Belarus, under the principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction;

Calls on EU governments and international institutions to provide support to the families of activists and political prisoners facing repression, to establish support mechanisms for those released from prison and to provide them with the necessary medical, psychological and legal aid,

Stands in solidarity with the people of Belarus and continues to support their legitimate aspirations for a democratic and European future; remains committed to working tirelessly with representatives of democratic forces, civil society and independent media for the benefit of the Belarusian people;

Calls for an end to the regime's persecution of minorities in Belarus, to review and reconsider the new Religion Law to ensure that it complies with Belarus' international human rights obligations,

Calls on the entire EU and Western countries to react decisively by imposing new sanctions on the Lukashenka regime;

Reiterates its call for additional sanctions to be imposed on the Lukashenka regime and those personally responsible for serious human rights violations,

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,HRVP, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the authoritiesUN, ofIRC, the Republicauthorities of Belarus, the High Commissioner for Human RightsBelarus and the Secretary-General ofBelarusian thedemocratic UN.forces.